Low-pressure holding device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a low-pressure holding device ( 1 ) with a low-pressure chamber ( 5 ) and a valve ( 9 ) for the permanent hold on gas-impermeable surfaces ( 14 ). The low-pressure holding device is fixed to a supporting surface by means of a piston suction pipe ( 13 ) which is detachably connected to the inventive device. The low-pressure holding device can be provided with a receptacle for holding appliances ( 2 ).

This application is a 371 of PCT/DE00/02362 filed Jul. 18, 2000.

The invention relates to a vacuum holding device with a vacuum chamberand valve for permanent holding to surfaces substantially impermeable togas.

Vacuum holding devices such as suction-cup fastenings are inherentlyknown. Conventional suction-cup fastenings have a suction cup which ismade of an elastic plastic material and should ensure an airtight sealbetween the suction cone and a smooth, gas-impermeable contact surface,e.g. a bathroom tile. The vacuum required for the adhesive action in thesuction chamber is produced by pressing the plate-shaped suction surfaceonto the contact surface whereby air escapes from the suction chamberand a vacuum is produced by means of the restoring force of the elasticmaterial. If necessary, surface adhesion forces are also involved in theadhesive action.

Also known are suction-cup fastenings which allow easy removal of thesuction-cup fastening from the contact surface, where by means of a sealto be opened, the vacuum in the suction chamber is raised by equalisingwith the ambient pressure. For this purpose U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,752proposes a cap mounted displaceably on a suction cup wherein the slidingor lifting of the cap brings about the opening of the suction chamber tothe outside and an inflow of ambient air. The vacuum responsible for thesuction action is removed, which releases the suction cap.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,837 also discloses a vacuum holding device forworkpieces which has vacuum chambers and airtight-closing seals to thebearing surfaces in order to hold workpieces tightly on surfaces byapplication of vacuum by means of a connection to a vacuum pump or torelease them again by reestablishing normal pressure.

DE 40 13 747 or WO 97/11282 disclose how the suction action of a suctioncup is produced by means of a hand pump connected securely to thesuction cup or is re-established again in the event of pressure loss.

The afore-mentioned embodiments either do not allow any permanentholding on especially rough surfaces or they have such complexstructures that they cannot be manufactured easily and at low cost.

The object of the invention is to overcome known disadvantages from theprior art and provide an alternative to adhesive or plug fastening whichis of similar permanent strength, can also be removed easily and withoutdamage to the surfaces and does not have the disadvantage ofconventional suction cups, of adhering only to very smooth surfaces andnot permanently.

The object is solved according to the invention by a vacuum holdingdevice 1, which has:

a vacuum chamber 5 which is open to a contact surface 14,

a seal 15 which closes the vacuum chamber gas-tight from the outsidetowards the contact surface 14,

an opening as the end of a connection between the vacuum chamber and theexternal environment 7,

a valve 9 which ensures gas-tight closure and opening of the connectionbetween the vacuum chamber 5 and the external environment 7 and

means for producing a detachable, substantially gastight couplingbetween the outwardly directed opening and a device for generatingvacuum 13.

Preferred embodiments are the subject of the subclaims.

The vacuum holding device is preferably made of plastic, e.g., of animpact-resistant plastic such as ABS and is also designed as preferablyround or oval in relation to the contact surface.

The connection between the vacuum chamber and the external environmentis preferably constructed in the form of a dome having a conical recessat the upper end in the form of an outwardly opening conical, sphericalor hemispherical bearing surface to accommodate the valve.

The valve is also constructed as conical, spherical or hemisphericalaccording to the bearing surface of the dome in order to ensure reliableseating. The valve tapers towards the vacuum chamber. It acts as asuction/sealing valve. The valve is preferably held, if necessary underpre-tensioning, in the bearing surface using an elastic means such as anelastic strip or rod or a spring which can be part an integral part ofthe valve.

The dome is preferably constructed so that it forms a stop for the endof the elastic means, e.g. the valve can be constructed so that itinitially tapers spherically, hemispherically or conically downwards andextends further downwards in a strip or rod fashion. At the end of thestrip or rod is a support which can be constructed in the form of one orseveral, preferably two spaced pins or a wedge.

The valve consists of a rubber-elastic material, at least in the regionsin contact with the bearing surface, so that the valve is reversiblydeformable at least in the upper spherical, hemispherical or conicalregion, e.g. under the action of forces such as can be exerted with thefingers.

The seal which closes the vacuum chamber gastight towards the outsideagainst the contact surface is preferably a flat seal made of an elasticmaterial, if necessary provided on one side and/or on both sides withcompensating ribs. The elastic material preferably exhibits an optimisedhardness and elasticity in relation to the contact surface.

The apparatus for producing the vacuum is preferably a manual, i.e.,hand-actuated, piston suction pipe which has openings at the beginningand at the end of the suction path. The piston suction pipe has a pistonpull rod with built-in tension holding device and also a suction pistonwhich is preferably made of elastic material such as rubber and issealed against the suction pipe, for example, using sealing lips. Inorder that the piston suction pipe can also be used in the verticalposition, the lower opening of the suction pipe can be also be connectedat an angle to the detachable coupling. If necessary, the piston suctionpipe can also have, centrally at the lower opening, a retaining devicefor the valve, perhaps a dome, which prevents the valve from beinglifted out of the receiving surface by the suction action of the pistonsuction pipe. The device for producing the vacuum and the vacuum holdingdevice are constructed in two parts.

According to a preferred embodiment, the vacuum holding device ispositioned on the contact surface and the piston suction pipe with aseal located at the lower opening is placed on the coupling surfaceunder a slight supporting pressure. By withdrawing the piston pull rodfrom the suction pipe, the valve is slightly raised from thepre-stressing and the atmosphere still present is largely extracted fromthe vacuum chamber. At the instant when the suction piston passes theupper opening, which is preferably formed by the pipe itself still openat the top in the cross-section, the conical/spherical valve is pressedagainst its bearing surface by the pre-stressing and the pressuredifference now built up, and closes the vacuum chamber airtight againstthe external pressure. When passing the upper opening, it is importantthat a large quantity of ambient air enters the suction piston at onceso that the valve of the vacuum holding device closes as quickly aspossible as a result of the sudden change in pressure. The correcthandling of the piston suction pipe can be monitored by a loudlyperceivable “plop” when the piston pull rod is withdrawn from thesuction pipe.

The vacuum holding device can easily be removed from the bearing surfaceby opening the valve. The valve is opened by deforming or moving it bylateral pressure e.g. with the finger, wherein a connection isestablished with the external environment and pressure equalisation isbrought about between the ambient pressure and the vacuum chamber.

All substantially air-impermeable base materials such as ceramic,earthenware, plastic-coated woods, glass or metal surfaces are suitablefor applying the vacuum holding device. In particular, even for roughstructures no holes or other insertion of screws or nails which damagethe holding surfaces is required for a permanent hold. The vacuumholding device according to the invention allows a reversible anddisturbance-free attachment.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, at its upper sidefacing away from the holding surface, the vacuum holding device has adevice configured as a receptacle which can, for example, accommodateequipment or holders for accommodating objects. The receiving device canbe designed so that it can accommodate a wide range of accessories inthe sense of a system.

The receiving device is preferably designed as swallowtail-shaped,wherein the connection is made by pushing onto the narrower side of theswallowtail.

The upper side can also be designed so that it allows the possibility ofa screw fastening by constructing, for example, on the upper side athread, a hole or some other receptacle for a screw fastening. The screwfastening can be used to accommodate a hook.

In an embodiment not according to the invention, the vacuum holdingdevice can also be used as a single-point fastening by screwing a screwthrough the dome into the holding surface. Twisting of the vacuumholding device can be prevented by the flat seal which is present. Thevacuum holding device sits securely and free from rotation on theholding surface.

The vacuum holding device can be used for example, in the household, inmotor caravans, sailing boats, motor yachts, on high-qualitywainscoting, in fair construction or in medicine, possibly in operatingtheatres, especially in those areas where no screwing or sticking can ormay be used.

The object of the invention is explained in greater detail subsequentlywith reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the vacuum holding device from above.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the vacuum holding device in a side view (FIG. 2) orfrom below (FIG. 3).

FIG. 4 shows a section through the vacuum holding device along the lineA-B.

FIG. 5 shows the piston suction pipe placed on the vacuum holdingdevice.

The vacuum holding device 1 has on its upper side a holding receptacle 2for the equipment holder in a swallowtail shape. On the short, upwardlydirected side 3 of the holding receptacle there is pushed on theequipment holder which is securely anchored by pushing downwards in thedirection of the long side 4 of the swallowtail-shaped holdingreceptacle 2. The vacuum holding device 1 is constructed such that it issubstantially round wherein the outer wall of the vacuum chamber 5extends downwards in a plate-shaped fashion. At the centre is shown thedome 6 to produce a connection between the vacuum chamber 5 and theexternal environment 7. The dome 6 has a cylindrical shape in thedownward direction and a round, substantially hemispherical openingextending outwards in the upward direction which forms the bearingsurface 8 for the spherical valve 9. The bearing surface has a circulargroove 10 which provides an airtight seal with the other surface of thespherical valve. The circular surface 12 directed parallel to thecontact surface 14 and, if necessary, the upper and/or lateral outerupper edge 11 of the dome, form sealing surfaces to produce a detachableairtight coupling with the suction pipe 13.

The vacuum chamber 5 extends downwards towards the contact surface 14 ina plate-shaped fashion. The airtight closure of the vacuum chamber tothe contact surface is accomplished by a flat seal 15 which is insertedcircularly in a receiving surface 16 at the edge 17 of the vacuumchamber. The flat seal can, if necessary, have ring-shaped grooves 18 onboth sides.

The dome 6 is constructed so that it is guided downwards in a pipe shapeuntil just above the bearing surface. This has the advantage that duringthe formation of a vacuum yielding contact surfaces cannot bulgeexcessively upwards and are retained by the lower end of the dome 19. Asa precaution there are slits 20 located at the lower end of the dome 19which ensure that, during the production of a vacuum, the vacuum chambercan be sufficiently well evacuated even if the contact surface isupwardly bulging. The dome also has on its inside a projection 21 whichis constructed so that it fixes the valve sphere with an elasticextension 22 and a pin- or wedge-shaped support 23 in the bearingsurface 8 under elastic stress by means of the upper edge of the support23.

The upper and lateral outer upper edge 11 of the dome and the circularsurface 12 located beneath it, directed parallel to the contact surface14 form, as it were, sealing surfaces to produce a detachable airtightcoupling with the piston suction pipe 13. The suction pipe to produce avacuum is also constructed as a piston suction pipe which has openingsat the beginning and at the end of the suction path. The lower openingof the suction pipe 24 is closed by a seal in the form of a circularrubber 25. The upper opening is formed 26 by the suction pipe open atthe top. The piston suction pipe also has a piston pull rod 27 withbuilt-in tension holding device and a suction piston 28 which ispreferably made of elastic material such as rubber and is sealed againstthe suction pipe with sealing lips 29.

The upper edge of the dome can be closed by a cap 30 which can beremoved, for example, by inserting a screwdriver head in an outlet orprojection 31 in the cap itself or in the surface 12. The cap also hasthe effect of pressing the elastic valve through the inner surface ofthe cap cover into the bearing surface 8 of the dome, providingadditional sealing.

List of reference symbols

1 Vacuum holding device

2 Holding receptacle

3 Short side of holding receptacle

4 Long side of holding receptacle

5 Vacuum chamber

6 Dome

7 External environment, outside

8 Bearing surface

9 Valve

10 Circular grooves of bearing surface

11 Outer upper edge of dome

12 Surface

13 Piston suction pipe

14 Contact surface

15 Flat seal

16 Receiving surface

17 Edge of vacuum chamber

18 Annular grooves of flat seal

19 Lower end of dome

20 Slits in dome

21 Projection in dome

22 Elastic extension

23 Pin- or wedge-shaped support

24 Lower opening of suction pipe

25 Circular rubber

26 Suction pipe

27 Piston pull rod

28 Suction piston

29 Sealing lips

30 Cap

31 Outlet

What is claimed is:
 1. A vacuum holding device with apparatus forproducing a vacuum, wherein the vacuum holding device and the apparatusfor producing a vacuum are constructed in two parts and are detachableconnected substantially gastight by positioning against each other,wherein the vacuum holding device comprises: a vacuum chamber which isopen in the direction of a contact surface, an outwardly directedopening as the end of a connection from the vacuum chamber to anexternal environment, a valve which ensures gastight closing and openingof the connection between the vacuum chamber and the externalenvironment means for producing a detachable substantially gastightcoupling between the outwardly directed opening and the apparatus toproduce a vacuum, the vacuum holding device comprises a seal which sealsthe vacuum chamber gastight against the contact surface towards theoutside, wherein the apparatus for producing a vacuum comprises asuction piston and a piston suction pipe wherein the suction pipe has afirst opening at the beginning of the suction path, the valve of thevacuum holding device is liftable from his seat by moving the suctionpiston in the direction from the first to the second opening and asecond opening at the end of the suction path which is fully passable bythe suction piston so that when the second opening is fully passed bythe suction piston ambient air penetrates in one stroke into the pistonsuction pipe to close the valve of the vacuum holding device.
 2. Thevacuum holding device according to claim 1, wherein the valve isconstructed as a form selected from the group consisting ofsubstantially conical, spherical and hemispherical.
 3. The vacuumholding device according to claim 1 wherein the connection between thevacuum chamber and the external environment has a form selected from thegroup consisting of conical, spherical and hemispherical bearing surfaceto accommodate the valve.
 4. The vacuum holding device according toclaim 1 wherein at least in the regions in contact with the bearingsurface, the valve consists of a rubber elastic material.
 5. The vacuumholding device according to claim 1 wherein one part of the means forproducing a detachable, substantially gastight coupling from an upwardlydirected opening is a surface.
 6. The vacuum holding device according toclaim 1 wherein the detachable, substantially gastight coupling isformed by a rubber seal between the surface and attachment of the deviceto produce a vacuum.
 7. The vacuum holding device according to claim 1wherein the surface for attaching the device to produce a vacuum isdirected to the contact surface of the vacuum holding device.
 8. Thevacuum holding device according to claim wherein the vacuum holdingdevice has a holding receptacle for an equipment holder.
 9. A method forsecuring a vacuum holding device with an apparatus for producing avacuum according to claim 1 to a contact surface comprising: positioningthe vacuum holding device on a contact surface, producing a detachable,substantially gastight coupling between the outwardly directed openingof the vacuum holding device and a piston suction pipe, producing avacuum in a vacuum chamber by moving a suction piston in the directionfrom a first opening at the beginning of the suction path to a secondopening at the end of the suction path and opening the valve of thevacuum holding device by the movement of the suction piston and furtherwithdrawing the suction piston from the piston suction pipe until thesuction piston passes the second opening so that when the second openingis fully passed by the suction piston ambient air penetrates in one gointo the piston suction pipe to close the valve of the vacuum holdingdevice and removing the apparatus for producing a vacuum.
 10. A vacuumholding device, wherein the vacuum holding device has: a vacuum chamberwhich is open in the direction of the contact surface, an opening as theend of a connection between the vacuum chamber and the externalenvironment, a valve which ensures gastight closing and opening of theconnection between the vacuum chamber and the external environment andmeans for producing a detachable substantially gastight coupling betweenthe outwardly directed opening and an apparatus for producing a vacuum,the valve is constructed as a form selected from the group consisting ofsubstantially conical, spherical or hemispherical and the connectionbetween the vacuum chamber and the external environment has a formselected from the group consisting of conical, spherical andhemispherical bearing surface to accommodate the valve, the vacuumholding device has a seal which closes the vacuum chamber gastighttowards the outside against the contact surface, the valve extends as astrip or rod wherein at the end of the strip or rod there is at leastone support in the form of at least one member of the group consistingof pin and wedge.
 11. The vacuum holding device according to claim 10wherein the extension of the valve is elastic to hold the valve in thebearing surface.
 12. The vacuum holding device according to claim 10wherein the seal is a flat seal made of elastic material.
 13. The vacuumholding device according to claim 1 wherein the seal is a flat seal madeof an elastic material.